


Gotham, Earth One

by Talyesin



Series: Aftermath on Finite Earths [2]
Category: DCU (Comics)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-15 21:24:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15421887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talyesin/pseuds/Talyesin





	Gotham, Earth One

Earth-One  
Gotham City

 

Bruno looked around nervously, pulling up the collar of his coat to further hide his features, as though anyone was looking down that particular alley at nearly midnight. The big man ran his gloved hand over dry lips and said, "Would you hurry it up? Every second we're out here is another second the Bat could catch us."

His partner, a smaller man nicknamed Stitch, held a penlight in his mouth, thin shaft of light pointed at the door's lock, which he was trying to pick. The penlight turned his words into mush: "Kwi yrr whiin yuh ig ayee."

"You think it's funny, don't you?" Bruno snarled. "You out of towners. You're all the same. You think Gothamites are all chicken. You don't know. If the Bat finds us, we're dead."

Stitch succeeded finally in opening the door. With a wide smirk, he swung it open and waved his partner in.

"I wouldn't say, dead," a voice said behind them, from above, as they entered the store.

"More like, with a hurt on," said another voice, younger.

"Oh man," Bruno moaned.

"Wrong again," Batwoman said, swinging down, through the opened door, feet first into the would be robbers. The two scattered like bowling pins, into the darkness of the store. Batwoman did a mid air backflip and landed with a quiet grace that spoke of years of hard training.

"Hey, leave one for me," her partner cried, rushing after her. Robin passed her mentor and ran into the room.

"Robin!" Batwoman said, cursing under her breath. Her goddaughter was as impulsive as she had been at her age. As they all had been, once.

Stitch felt himself roll up against a pillar. As he stood, he felt his shoulder brush a light switch. He got an idea. No way he was going to be brought in by a woman and a girl. He pulled out his pistol. Then he flipped the switch, hoping the sudden light would blind the heroes, at least long enough for him to get off a shot or two.

 

The light revealed the two heroes, caught for a split second, burned into Stitch's mind: Batwoman, all in black, bright yellow bat symbol across on her full breasts, a perfect target, bright red hair spilling halfway down her back. Robin, just a kid, pre puberty even, dressed in bright red tunic, yellow tights, green half cape, boots, gloves and goggles, long black hair pulled back in a tight braid.

What kind of maniac brings a kid into this?, Stitch wondered briefly. It didn't stop him from aiming the pistol at the kid's head.

There was an explosion of pain in his hand and he dropped the pistol. Three bat shaped blades stuck out of the back of his shooting hand. He turned to see his attacker.

"Not from around here?" asked the newcomer, standing at the front door. Dressed in shades of midnight and royal blue, he had to be Nightwing. The younger man in crimson and gold, arms crossed, leaning against the door frame, must be Flamebird.

"Don't mess with the Bat Family, pal," Flamebird laughed.

"Don't hit me don't hit me don't hit me," Bruno begged as Robin marched up to him. With a quick roundhouse kick, she knocked the criminal unconscious.

"Robin, stand down!" Batwoman ordered. Robin shot her godmother an angry, incredulous stare, but wisely said nothing. Flamebird called it in to the GCPD and they waited for the police cruiser to arrive.

"You two good with this?" Nightwing asked the duo.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay and take credit?" Batwoman asked him.

"No, they're all yours," Flamebird quipped. "You two have fun now."

"See you back at the Cave," Nightwing said to Batwoman quietly. She smiled, softening slightly, and nodded. The other duo left the way they came, through the front door. Batwoman watched them leave.

Then she turned back to her young protege, the smile erased from her face. Robin's sullen resentment turned to genuine worry at the look her mentor gave her.

The Gotham police arrived moments later, and Batwoman gave them a statement. The duo left the store, climbing their bat lines to the roofs, then across the rooftops of Gotham. When they reached the right deserted alley, they leapt off the roof and landed in their Batmobile.

"Young lady, you are in so much trouble," Batwoman told Robin. 

"But Aunt Barbara!" Robin began to argue, pushing up her goggles when the roof windows of the Batmobile had closed.

"Don't 'but' me, Helena!" Batwoman replied angrily. "Your father will be furious when he finds out you rushed in there against orders "

 

"Aunt Barbara, there was only two of them!" Helena argued. "We could have taken them out "

"Two of them, one with a pistol," Barbara countered, pushing back her cowl as they got onto the freeway, leading out of the city. She hoped Helena would see the earnest concern on her face. "Helena, you could have been killed."

"Oh, like that trick with the lights would have worked. Both of us have protective lenses in our masks, Aunt Barbara! And there was at least four ways to disarm him from where I was standing. If Uncle Dick hadn't butt in "

"There were six ways to disarm him from where you were standing, and nine from my position. Our being able to take out those two bits isn't the point."

"Six? But, wait "

"You haven't been taught the last two," Barbara said sternly. "Because they're lethal."

Helena swallowed, then looked out the window, pouting, resting her chin on her fist.

"You defied orders, Helena," Barbara said, trying for a conciliatory tone. "You know what that means."

"I don't know why I have to be Robin in the first place," Helena complained. "Robin's a boy. Always has been. Why can't I be Batgirl?"

"You know why," Barbara answered, taking the exit that would lead them to the Batcave. "You have to prove yourself before you can wear the Bat."

"You didn't," Helena countered, knowing her godmother's history.

"That's where you're wrong, Helena," Barbara replied softly, remembering the many tests Bruce had put her through when she began her crimefighting career, half a lifetime ago.

The rest of the drive was spent in uncomfortable silence, Helena's apprehension growing as they neared the Batcave. She knew exactly what her father's reaction would be that flat hard stare, followed by a month of intense training, without the benefit of being able to go on patrol with her godmother. Jason would tease her, Dick would sympathize, and Mother would be furious. And Aunt Barbara was... disappointed.


End file.
